


Hold on, I still need you

by thenevillegirl



Category: The Sunne in Splendour - Sharon Kay Penman, The White Queen (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2020-03-29 20:14:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19027132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thenevillegirl/pseuds/thenevillegirl
Summary: Here i am with an another One shot about Anne and Richard, and again on Anne's death (well in this she's not dead yet) i just like to portray Richard in these moments because probably is something i wanted in The White Queen so i used a bit of The Sunne contents for this one ;)





	Hold on, I still need you

“Veronique, will you help me?”  Anne asked with feeble voice.

The young woman turned to see the Queen that was trying to get out of the bed, therefore she ran toward her, supporting her and helping her in her intent.

“Your Majesty you should not make efforts!” She exclaimed.

Anne smiled and gestured her to bring her next to the window.

“I want to see the sunset, I never know which will be the last and I want to enjoy every single one…”

Veronique looked at her worried. Anne has always been, since she was betrothed to Edouard of Lancaster, her best friend, and seeing her in that state made her heart cry. The illness made her appear more petite than she already was, she seemed a little girl.

The day of her coronation she shone as just as a Queen could and Anne was an authentic White Rose of York.

“Thank You, Veronique.” Anne suddenly said, continuing to look ahead. 

“For what, your grace?” She asked, quietly confused.

“For everything. You’re the only friend I ever had.”

The girl smiled, Anne asked her to leave her at the window, soon Richard would arrive to keep her company and she wouldn’t be alone. Veronique made sure she was fine and, looking behind her back a couple of times, she left the Queen chambers.

Anne looked at the sunset with amazement. Never she stopped so much on the beauty of this phenomenon such as the dawn too. It was like she was admiring it for the first time.

She looked down at the gardens and imagined her little Ned playing around with Johnny. Obviously they were not the same gardens, but she could pretend to be in Middleham.

“Anne!”

She heard the voice of Richard and turned around, smiling at him.

“You’re on time, as always.” She says, as he approached her, encircling her shoulders and taking her to bed.

“What were you doing there? You know you should not make unnecessary efforts.” He scolded her sweetly.

“Richard, don’t punish Veronique, I asked her to help me toward the window, I wanted to see the sunset.”

Richard sighed, “Again, Ma belle?” He asked, touching delicately her cheek.

Anne thought that her husband was treating her as she was made by porcelain. Of course she wasn’t good as before but she was always a Neville and she was strong.

“What are we doing tonight?” She asked, changing the topic of their conversation and trying to smile as much as possible.

“We can talk, or play chess, do you want to?”

“Why don’t you read to me?”

Richard smiled, he was waiting that request. His wife loved to hear him while reading and when she was carrying his son, he would read for both of them when he was at home in Middleham.

“Everything that you wish for, my dear” He kissed her fingers and took a book from the little bookcase she had in her chamber.

He read until he noticed that Anne fell asleep. She was 28 and yet she seemed way more younger, like the little girl he used to read when he was one of the wards of her father, the Earl of Warwick.

He arranged her hair, to not leave a single strand on her face, and kissed her on the forehead. He then left the book next to the bed and get out of the chamber.

“Dickon…”

He turned at the mention of his name and it was his niece, Elizabeth. She had a sad and deep look on her face.

“Bess, you should be in your chamber at this hour…” He got closer to her and stared worried, “Is everything all right?” He asked, resting his hands on her arms.

“I’m worried about the Queen and about you…” She said, complete honesty in her words.

“I see that you may be worried for the Queen, but for me? I’m fine…”

“No, you’re not! I can see it in your eyes” She interrupted him, she seemed angry with him.

Richard smiled and gestured her to get closer to him for a hug, he used to hug her when she was little and even if she was grown up, she was 19 now, she still was his loving niece, Edward’s daughter.

Elizabeth let herself be embraced and she breathed deeply, relaxing at her uncle’s scent. He always transmitted her a sense of security, she could not believe what everybody was saying about him, that he was a murderer and an usurper.

“Bess, beware of who you decide to trust and listen always what your heart is saying.”

It was something he kept saying to himself but he was never able to follow his own advice. His greatest mistake was to trust the wrong people, indeed.

He released the embrace and told her to go to bed and she did.

Richard opened gently the door of Anne’s chambers to check one last time if she was fine and if she was sleeping, then he went to the throne room. It was quite sad to see it empty, without the presence of his court but at that hour everyone was sleeping, everyone except for him.

“Dickon…”

Richard turned around to see who was this time.

“Francis, what are you doing here?”

Richard stopped for a second, he seemed that he was asking that to everyone that night.

“What are you doing here?” He answered back.

“Are you reproving me, Francis? I remember you I’m your king.”

“I’m not reproving you, I’m just worried.” he said firmly.

Richard laughed, it was nice to know that his best friend still worried about him.

“I’m serious, Richard!”

Richard looked up, now serious, it was rare for Francis  to call him by his given name.

“Okay, and why are you? I’m not ill, that’s my wife, Anne, do you remember?” Now he didn’t wanted to joke anymore and raised his voice.

“Of course I remember, on the contrary, I think you forgot that.”

“What…? Every night I keep her company because she’s unwell.”

“Exactly… You know I care for Anne as she is my sister, but the physician, in fact, every physician you called at court said that you should not spend too much time with her or you could fall ill too and this is something England doesn’t need right now.”

“They can’t give me orders, I am the King, Francis, and if I want to spend my time with my wife who is dying then I will... and I will give her the best of times.”

“Yo-You’re not sharing her bed, right?” Francis asked, his eyes widening at that affirmation.

“No! of course not, I could never… We talk, we read, we play chess and this makes her happy. Which I failed during the last years…”

“Richard, is honorable what are you doing bu-“

“It is not for the honor, I love her! And i… I love her, Francis, I cannot lose her, do you understand?”

“Dickon…”

“Enough Francis, I need to stay alone, please.”

Francis made a nod with his head and got out of the room, leaving Richard alone as he asked. As soon as he was alone, Richard burst into tears.

First it was George, then Edward.

And when he took the throne because of the young age of his nephew, his son Ned died and now his wife was too. Had he really the rights to claim the throne as many thought? Or he hadn't any and the Lord was punishing him for taking something it was never meant for him to take? 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a huge supporter of the fact that Richard can let go all his pain just in front of Anne but since he tried to be strong for her, he did it all alone.  
> I love Richard and Bess relationship (not as lovers) because i think that for how many times they tried to portray it as a romantic story i think that, yes, there was love but it was because they were family to the other. Now i don't want to go there and write too much on this, but i never hated Bess (or Lizzie) or Richard for what they did on TWQ, simply because is just Philippa Gregory's idea.


End file.
